I pondered life
while shopping
for tomatoes
and sausages.
^
Very relatable Andrea I wait in the supermarket line and I start thinking about different things but you thought about life in general. I normally think of bills and how I can make my life better, should I buy this or not. Anyways beautiful introductory stanza makes me want to read on more!

Hot, spicy, Italian links
dangled, while juggling
tomatoes in a mad rush
to the check out line.
^
Ah you painted what exactly happens in an average day that you go to Walmart or any other store in the country how a lot of people are in every kind of line there is! You carry two and still you are in a huge line for the 10 items and below very interesting since you make a dash to the line so you can get out quicker nice imagery by the way!

People scurry like ants
to be first, while stomachs
growl with hungry tongues
waiting to be nourished
mind, body and soul.
^
My earlier comment was proven right. It's true though when people are in line like in a McDonalds people tend to be hungry since they either are in a lunch break or just buying food for their households very nice. Also love that you put food for the mind, body and soul since it implies that it's not only food that people buy or get since it could be books (self-help books for the mind or any other kind of book since it helps the mind), food (for the body) and finally soul which could be anything in truth lovely stanza and quite true!

Children eat stale rice
moistened with tainted
water in a run to the death.
^
Quite beautiful I've never seen a baby eat stale rice but then again the ending of this stanza probably is right since mothers race to get out of there so they can go on home and just relax, take care of the baby better, or even sleep while their partners are taking care of the child or make the baby sleep so they can too slumber

Little toes caked in dirt,
waiting for an ounce of
something to stop the aching
of a malnourished belly.
^
O the poor baby! It hasn't eaten yet and that does happen mothers forget to give their children their babies the proper nourishment because they don't think they will be waiting that much in the lines but they do take a while to get out great description!

Flies play ring around the rosy
around a sweet little face
and childhood memories
simply don't exist anymore.
^
Adorable first sentence in the stanza! I haven't played ring around the rosy but I know it is a child's game and yet gross to the flies around the child and this stanza makes me think of a young child being murdered or the child seeing someone they love dying in front of them poor child to have died or seen someone murdered

Humanity has lost its way,
like a cattle call;
^
Nice simile by the way and humanity has lost it's way many times and it's truly tragic since if we actually united and didn't have so much darkness in our lives we would be the best of friends but since greed, vengeance, and so many other things have destroyed our unity it's a miracle we are still called humans since not even the animals bicker or things like money they live simple lives

I stand alone in aisle three
thinking about hungry babies
and suddenly I don't feel like
cooking anymore.
^
Yay it finally went back to first person rather than third person truly beautiful and yes after pondering what exactly humanity has done and has been doing from now to the past anyone would lose their appetite no matter how hungry you were before you started thinking of the race called humanity!

If society took a moment
to think about others needs
before their own,
maybe this world could
be harmonious-
^
Totally agree with the stanza but people are too selfish to ever consider things like sharing and donating I know when I have money more than I need to live when I go to Walmart or H-E-B I always donate like a dollar or even sometimes 5 because I can't donate a lot but I do give back to those that don't have much and I do compared to humanity sad that society is cold in some ways, I know people that tell people who can't make end met and they clean windows my heart breaks for them but someone always will say "get a real job" when they are trying to make it for their families sad....

but it takes more than one,
please join me in aisle three....
^
Nice ending and again I agree with the couplet it will always take more than one person to change the future but I love that you try to convinse people to willingly choose to help others or not I would probably join you in trying to help humanity no matter that I'm broke, studying, or sick at the moment lol lovely poem Andrea 5/5

-Mori

This is so touching Maple, and I love how it came over so simple and from that tiny little thought that happened when you were doing such a normal daily errand such as shopping for groceries.

I like how the poem started out and I had no idea that you were going to take this turn of events, I actually thought it was going to be a humorous poem given the title and the small introduction of the grocery store.

I was really surprised with the twist in the poem, and how you can take for granted something which there is always someone going without. As humans, I think we can be grateful for the small things in life, however, I do think we do not appreciate things we have, until they are gone, or scarce.

The description of poverty is so intense, and the poor little kids who actually have no idea that there are luxuries in the world, which is not just water or food. They just appreciate anything they can get which keeps them alive really.

this poem is such a sad poem, because we see it on every advert on TV, and we can vividly picture what you are painting for us.

Very touching words Maple, and I do love your title and how you then use that to ask the audience to come on your plea with you, to come on the mission to empower kindness in the world, and for us all to love better together.

Beautiful work.